Chumir Drug Site Closing: The End of an 'Experiment' or a Community Lifeline?

By The Numbers

For nearly a decade, the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre has been more than just a building on 4th Street SW; it's been a critical hub for harm reduction in our city. Since commencing operations in Fall 2017, the supervised consumption site has seen staggering numbers: over 305,000 client visits and a response to 7,730 overdoses by March 2024. Think about that for a second. That's thousands of lives touched, thousands of potential tragedies averted right here in the heart of Calgary.

A 2020 University of Calgary study even crunched the numbers, revealing that for every overdose attended to, the province saved an estimated $1,600 in EMS and hospital costs. By that measure, the site had already saved over $2.3 million by 2020 – cash that would otherwise have come straight out of the public purse, meaning your tax dollars. Even as recently as the second quarter of 2025, the site was serving an average of 792 unique visitors each month, clearly demonstrating its continued, vital role for hundreds of Calgarians.

Who Pays?

So, if it's saving money and saving lives, why close it? Premier Danielle Smith's UCP government insists the supervised consumption site was an "experiment" that "didn't work," and they're moving towards a "recovery-oriented approach" with an emphasis on treatment. But here's where the rubber meets the Deerfoot for everyday Calgarians: the closure, slated for Spring 2026 (as confirmed by Rick Bell’s column this past December), isn't just about a building on Beltline.

Harm reduction advocates, like Dr. Monty Ghosh from the University of Calgary, are sounding the alarm, warning that shutting down the Chumir site without adequate replacements will likely lead to "the worsening of not only overdoses... but we will see an increase in public consumption use, and potentially more dispersion of public consumption across the city." Imagine: more needles in parks, more public health emergencies stressing our already stretched EMS. The "savings" from closing the site could very quickly be dwarfed by increased costs to our emergency services and a tangible degradation of public spaces across our beloved city.

The Opposition

It’s not just academics raising red flags. Local advocate Danielle English hit the nail on the head, stating, "when you take away a space to use safely, the whole city becomes a space for use." This isn't just theory; it's a direct concern for every Calgarian who uses public spaces. Janet Eremenko, the Alberta NDP's shadow minister for Mental Health and Addiction, has consistently questioned the lack of concrete, substantive replacement plans from the province.

The concern isn't just if people will consume drugs, but where and how safely. Without the structured environment of a supervised site, the risk of overdose rises, and the burden on families, first responders, and our health system will inevitably increase. This isn't just a political talking point; it's about the safety and well-being of our neighbours, our communities, and the very fabric of Calgary.

The Verdict

The UCP government had initially signalled its intent to close Calgary's supervised consumption site way back in 2021, and now, as confirmed by Rick Bell's recent column, it's not relocating, it's closing for good this spring. For the Premier, it's a policy decision based on the belief that the "experiment" has run its course. For Calgarians, however, the closure of the Sheldon Chumir site represents a significant shift in our city's approach to addiction.

Whether this pivot to a recovery-only model will truly serve the complex needs of our community, without the harm reduction safety net, remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the implications will be felt across every corner of Calgary, from the emergency rooms to the streets, and it demands our collective attention.